THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17th, 1921. THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 200, 17 August 1921, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17th, 1921. THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Some little space has been given here during the last few days to medical views as to how the community as a whole is to be established and maintained in a condition of sound physical, health. While these views are eminently worthy of being impressed upon the mass of the people, without whose intelligent aid they cannot be brought to anything like a maximum of practical fruition, we cannot but be fully conscious that, ior a very large number of those for whom the physician’s lessons are designed, there is a problem whose solution has to be found before it can be hoped that they will lend ear to them. It is probably a futile labour to enter upon any effort to arouse interest in these lessons among folk whose immediate surroundings are such that a practical application of them seems to be almost hopeless. It may as well be recognised at the outset that it is almost useless to undertake the task of showing people the way to live healthy and wholesome lives unless, as a foundation, they are provided with healthy and wholesome homes in which to live them.\„ It would seem, therefore, as if, so far as the health of many of our fellow-citizens 1 is concerned, to say nothing of other aspects of it, the housing question was really one of the most pressing of the hour, from nearly all, if not from all, of our larger cities we are getting, through channels whose authenticity cannot be impugned, descriptions of the conditions under which not a few families are forced to live that are little short of appalling. They picture to us, within these cities, houses that are grossly insanitary, such ,too, as preclude the possibility the observance of the mere decencies of civilized life, where “children languish, and where, the best of women must lose heart.” One investigator, who has had experience of city slums in the congested urban areas of tjae Old Country, has said that the sights he has seen in this young land are entirely comparable with those with which his earlier experiences on the other side of the world had made hiih almost despairingly familiar, the only difference being that in New Zealand cities the cases were more isolated. Citing particular instances of what he had seen in one city this witness, a well-known clergyman, said: “In one small house 19 people were living, and in others the number of occupants were 22, 14, and 12. It was found that five or six persons slept in one bed, and growing girls and boys occupy the same i rooms in many houses. Most of the windows ivould not open, and the filth of the back yards was horrible, open drains, rubbish, and slush providing absolute plague spots.” It is manifestly little short of cynical cruelty to preach the gospel of, scientific hygienics to people who are passing an existence under con ditions suoh as these.

It may be urged that these are extreme examples and are relatively few. To this it may be at once answered that the evidence points to their being quite sufficient in number to demand the most immediate attention from those in authority. But, even granting the contention as to these instances—one which provides no excuSe for neglect in remedying them —it cannot but be recognised that there, are families in very , considerable numbers whose plight is only something comparatively better —and that not only in the big cities, but in the provincial towns as well. Almost everywhere we hedr of people who are in a position to pay reasonable rent for decent housing accommodation being forced to content themselves with herding in narrow confines for which rentals that can be characterised as nothing other tlian exorbitant are extracted from them, one or two small rooms having often to be made do the service of a whole dwelling. We quite appreciate the fact that there are some who have nothing else to live beyond the rents they derive from some moeftst investment of savings in house property, and that for them the increased cost of living necessitates the collection of rents at something higher than pre-war rates to save themselves from actual hardship. But this may be fully conceded, even with regard to all house-owners, and yet not in any way justify the rack rents that are frequently being exacted. Even now, when the cost of living is coming gradually down, for the landlord as for the tenant, there is a very general cry that rents for houses and for rooms are being advanced simply because it is realised that the unfortunate victims must somehow find cover for their heads. The law may provide a remedy aghinst the rapacious landlord, or landlady—for the womenfolk seem just as eager as the men after a little extra gain from the extremities of their fellow. But the law is an expensive luxury, and it is generally those who cannot afford to indulge in such luxuries, even were they so inclined, who are the sufferers. The matter of rent, however, while of very vital importance to many at the moment, is not the chief thing that has to be considered when taking the, broad view. The big question that has to be answered is as to how decent housing accommodation is to be provided for the many who are in want of it. The efforts that have so far been made to 'meet the urgent demand does not seem to have afforded a?i,y very appreciable relief. For a long while it was argued that high cost of material and shortage of suitable labour operated against any such extensive campaign of house-building as would appreciably ease the situation. But we fancy that in both these respects conditions have altered favourably during recent months, that is, favourably in the way of encouraging the erection of dwellings for the people, But still there seems no substantial movement in that direction. The difficulty now seems to be,

here, as in so many other needed activities, mainly in the question of finance. And this is an obstacle that doubtless offers difficulty in surmounting, when from so many sides there are calls for all the little capital that can be made available. But it is quite certain .that the cal! of the people, both the poorer and those of some small means, for house-room is one that should be given a foremost place for answer. In the meantime some organization should be formed, or some public official appointed, in each centre of population, to which or whom the poorer folk could appeal to see that their necessities were not being exploited in breach of the law by over-greedy landlords, while sanitary inspectors should be keener than ever to see fhat the health laws are not being disregarded by houseowners too greedy to spend tipon amendments and repairs some of the high rents they are receiving.